Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Opioid Use Disorder

There is far more data on available on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for addiction in general than Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Opioid Use Disorder. CBT for addiction has generally been found to be effective for individuals from multiple backgrounds.

Evidence for the intervention

There is moderate quality and heterogeneous evidence for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Substance Use Disorder (CBT-SUD). Effect sizes tend to be higher for individuals receiving CBT-SUD for cannabis than for opioids or stimulants, and there have been mixed results when examining the effects of CBT-SUD as an adjunct to medication for opioid use disorder (OUD). A systematic review and meta-analysis published in 2020 concluded “the evidence cautiously suggests that for OUD, there may be some benefit to adding non-individual CBT to buprenorphine therapy.” We therefore give this a rating of yellow.

Evidence-based Scale

There is far less data available on the effects of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Opioid Use Disorder (CBT-OUD) relative to the literature on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for addiction. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for addiction has been shown to be effective for individuals from a variety of backgrounds who use a range of different substances. Of note, some CBT for addiction programs include written homework assignments which should be adapted for individuals with low levels of literacy or education. The costs associated with CBT for addiction can also limit accessibility, as many CBT providers do not take public insurance.